South West Water staff trained to work in confined spaces and wearing breathing apparatus took the plunge into the sewers yesterday (Tues) – to tackle a massive fatberg.

The 64 metre long mass of hardened, fat, oil, wet wipes and other waste was discovered under the Esplanade in the genteel East Devon resort of Sidmouth in January.

Yesterday the complicated and messy job of breaking it up and removing it, began in earnest.

The fatberg – longer than six double decker buses – is the largest ever found in Devon and Cornwall. Removing it could take up to eight weeks with the risk that heavy rainfall miSewer workers brave posight force a delay in the work.

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“But it doesn’t always end this way. Every time a wet wipe is flushed or oil poured down the drain, there is a risk these items could cause sewer blockages.

“This is extremely unpleasant and could happen in your own home. We tackle dozens of new sewer blockages every day, which adds £4.5million to bills every year.”

What IS a fatberg?

It is essentially congealed lump formed by the combination of non-biodegradables being flushed down the loo

This includes wet wipes, grease or cooking fat

They have become a menace in Britain, as the aged Victorian plumbing systems of old meet modern flushable wipes

They can be a source of fuel - specifically biogas - so not all bad

And the company is stressing the role householders have to play in keeping the sewage system flowing.

It advises: “ Stop the block by only flushing the 3Ps – pee, paper and poo – and by not pouring fat, oil and grease (FOG) down the drain.”

The work, which started yesterday, is the first time the South West Water team have had to tackle a fatberg on this scale. A spokesman said the clearance would have to be carried out “in exceptionally challenging conditions.”

Charlie Ewart

Workmen are operating from a secure compound in the far corner of Sidmouth Esplande and visitors to the sea front should not be affected.

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The man who found the massive blockage is 51-year-old Charlie Ewart from Plymouth, while carrying out an inspection of the sewers under Sidmouth.

Speaking last month he said: “I saw it and thought: ‘What on earth?’ It was completely unexpected. It’s really eerie in that bit of the sewer and it does look like something out of a horror scene, all congealed and glossy and matted together with all kinds of things.”

And he admitted there was no chance of closing off the sewer while the operation to remove the fatberg is in progress.